IDM ¦ Packaging
Stretch blow molder with high energy
savings gentle on the environment
With the integration of the stretch blow molder the aseptic block
gains a number of further plus points. One of these is that the
heating system in the new Blomax generation consumes up to
40% less energy compared to most standard heating systems
thanks to its optimized near infrared heating concept and new
Double Gate technology. This is made possible by the near infrared
heater centrally installed in the closed reflector tunnel. In the heater
the preforms pass the centrally arranged heating units to both
the left and right. The preforms are spaced just around 18 millimeters
apart instead of the previous approximately 37 millimeters.
The Dortmund systems supplier has thus been able to considerably
reduce the number of heater boxes used. The air management
system for heater box ventilation has also been optimized. “The
fan can be set separately for the neck, reflector and lamps. This
means that the machine only cools the areas which actually need
cooling,” explains Redeker.
Effective sterilization with the KHS system
When further developing its linear aseptic filler KHS also focused
on increased efficiency. The filling machine for sensitive products
is available in both a standard aseptic and ESL version. In the KHS
process sterilization takes place in several stages. First, the machine
disinfects the neck and bottle interior. Here, the inside of the container
is sprayed twice with a hydrogen peroxide aerosol (H2O2) at a
speed of up to 80 kilometers an hour. “This ensures that every part
of the bottle is sprayed and sterilized; we even achieve this with
individual designs and critical shapes,” Redeker states. Secondly,
two aerosol reaction cycles are initiated. The process ends with a
four-stage drying process which uses sterile hot air.
Gentle filling ensures product protection
In order to ensure the quality of the products, it is essential that the
aseptic zone is absolutely clean. KHS ensures this by gentle noncontact
filling, among other things, performed in two stages. This
prevents any excessive beverage foaming.
After filling the bottle is conveyed to the capping unit. Here,
the closure is sterilized in the same manner as the bottle in the fill-
The new linear InnoPET BloFill ABF aseptic block from KHS is
designed to fill milk, mixed milk beverages, juice, smoothies
and iced tea into PET bottles holding between 250 milliliters
and two liters (Photo: KHS GmbH)
18 · February 2020 ¦ international-dairy.com
By blocking the stretch blow molder and linear filler the systems
supplier minimizes the risk of soiling. This has a positive
impact on hygiene and line availability (Photo: KHS GmbH)
ing section. This entails two-step disinfection with H2O2 and two
drying stages with hot sterile air. “In the capper unit we’ve also
made sure that all parts in the aseptic zone have a flat surface. By
doing so we can prevent any air turbulence, making cleaning and
disinfection easier,” Redeker comments. The bottle is then dated
for full documentation of all information. “Our customers can always
see which product was filled when on which valve,” explains
Redeker.
One-block system
With its new dry aseptic block KHS has reacted to the current dairy
demand for flexible, resource-saving filling of sensitive products.
The new system also boosts line availability and considerably reduces
energy consumption. Operators also have greater flexibility
thanks to the short changeover times: format changes are facilitated
by the well-coordinated interfaces. The modular design also
enables customers to expand their linear aseptic filler block in order
to meet current market demands at all times.
With its new dry aseptic bock the systems provider has
reacted to the current dairy demand for flexible, resourcesaving
filling of sensitive products into PET containers
(Photo: KHS GmbH)